Falling For You 2
by CaroSomething
Summary: Peri had a plan. A good plan. But everything changed when an unexpected guest join their little party... [...] A continuation of Falling For You. Mostly Connverse but with an Amedot Epilogue :3
1. Chapter 1

Peri had planned everything for that afternoon. She had summoned Lapis and Steven for their monthly fanfic reunion with enough time for them to come up with a story, or choose one of the many they've written in Steven's case. She had, with a little help, prepared the perfect story. She had chosen the perfect moment of the afternoon, when the light is plenty enough in the barn and it's neither too hot nor cold. She had considered every single detail so everything went perfect. But it never crossed her mind that Steven would bring a guest.

Steven arrived at the barn near sunset, as Peridot required in her message early that week. At first Peri had been glad to see him and had greeted him with a smile, then her entire face fell when she saw he wasn't alone. A cute human girl was at his side, holding his hand, with a big grin matching his. This would wreck the plan.

"Peri, let me introduce you to my best friend in the whole world: Connie." He said, ignorant at her despair, indicating the human next to him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Peridot." Connie saluted, politely. "Steven has told me lots of things about you... most of them good." She finished with a shy smile.

"I... it's nice to meet you too, Connie." She finally answered, overcoming her first shock. This would complicate her plan, she'd have to go with Plan B… whenever she could figure out plan B.

They all entered the barn, and once again Steven introduced Connie to Lapis. They had already met, but according to Steven their last encounter hadn't been the most... friendly. That's why it was better to start over.

The group sat at the center of the barn (where there was enough space for them, and no Meep Morps in the way).

"You guys are probably wondering why Connie came today." Steven started. "You see, she loves fiction, mostly books. She have toooons of them and she always lends me some. Oh once I borrow this awesome series about a girl and her familiar and... oh! a familiar is this magical companion that everybody has which..." Steven stopped when he felt Connie's hand grabbing his arm. The look she was giving him said "calm down". He blushed lightly and gave her a little smile.

"Oh, sorry, I got excited." He apologized, still blushing. He cleared his throat and continued. "She loves fiction, and I recently learnt she's a terrific writer. That's why I asked her to join our little fanfiction club. And I thought it was time she met the rest of the family."

Connie blushed as well for his compliment. "I don't know about "terrific", but I do what I can. And I really want to hear your stuff guys." Steven had explained her that the gems didn't really write for their meetings, they just imagine a story and recite it, as if they were making it up on the march. That was Lapis case for sure, she had a great imagination and her ability to express her thoughts was incredible. If you didn't know better you will think she was reporting a true fact. Peri, on the other hand, was very meticulous with her stories. She came up with a plot, then she added details, changed things that didn't work out, just like a normal writer. But she didn't write it down, she didn't need to, her perfect memory was all she needed to create the whole thing and then tell it.

Lapis went first and tell them this story about the epic love between a human girl and a monster. They had plotted a whole plan where they faked both of their deaths so they could be together without anyone getting between them. And even when Barb had been reluctant to leave her friends thinking she had suffered a horrible (and seriously disgusting) death, the happiness and joy Demi (her nickname for her monster) gave her made everything worth it. Steven was extremely happy that they could be together at the end and Peri always encouraged Lapis even when she didn't know the fandom. Connie, although impressed by the turn of events in one of her favorite shows, gave Lapis positive comments because it really was an original idea and very well told. The blue gem thanked everyone and went back to her seat.

Steven had brought the notebook where he wrote his stories: it was all black with a yellow star in the front, a gift from Greg. He could tell his stories like the other gems did because he knew every single word in them, but the paper gave him confidence, so he used it when it was his turn. He had written about Pear and Tomato, and how they fought for being different but at the end realized they were both fruits "in the inside". The gems didn't understand the story that much, but Steven was happy about it, and that's all that mattered.

Connie was next. Just like Steven, she had brought a little red notebook where she wrote. But in Connie's case, the writing was a little more complex than fruits and thdir problems. She had focused on the psychological aspect and the recovery process of this two characters who had faced hell and came back... literally according to Connie's story. Peri loved it! She had liked one of the characters whose name was Percy; with a name like that he had to be cool. And they also lived in this camp, which was also incredible. Lapis gave her approval too, commenting that she had describe very well the idea of being trapped in your own mind and not being able to tell if you were back in the scenary of your worst nightmares or not. That was kind of the central idea of her fanfic. No one made any comment about why Lapis understood the concept, they all knew better. Connie thanked everyone, with a big smile. Then everyone turned to Peri to hear her story.

The little dorito had been so caught up in the others' fanfics that she had forgotten her current predicament: she couldn't go on with her original plan. PLAN B: lie.

"Oh, right, my turn... Well, you see... I didn't... I don't have a story for today." She finished with an awkward smile.

"But you invited us." Steven replied.

"Don't lie. You've been planning this day for weeks. I know. I saw the diagrams in your... tablet thingy."

"Whaaaat? I'm not lying" she tried to sound convincing but she knew no one was buying it. _What should I do? My plan is perfect and deserves to be completed... but this could end terrible wrong with Connie here... but they know I'm lying. Uuuuugh! Why can't things ever happen like I want them to?_

While Peri had her inner debate, the rest of the crew was staring at her. She was pacing around, moving her arms and making angry faces, inadvertently that her internal discussion wasn't as internal as she thought. At the end she sighed loudly and said "Fine" to herself apparently. She faced her friends again.

"Ok. The truth is that I... did come up with a story for our session. But now with Connie here I'm not sure if I can tell it."

"Aaaww, Peri. Don't feel embarrassed. I'm sure Connie will love it." Steven assured her, mistaking her apprehension for shyness.

"Of course she would love it, why wouldn't she?" The gem questioned him, as if he had suggested the more ridiculous thing in the world. When he didn't answer she continued. "The problem is that I'm not sure if you, Steven, would be comfortable with her hearing my story. I... I wrote about you."

That should have been enough for anyone to be suspicious about Peri's fic. Not our Steven though, he was thrilled. "Oh my Gosh! You did? Then of course you have to tell it. Go on!" The green gem had no other option, you couldn't argue with the boy when he had stars in his eyes.

Peridot, the Homeworld gem, former enemy of the Crystal Gems, the green dorito, stood up with a decisive look and positioned in the middle of the circle. Well, I tried to warn him, was her last thought before opening her mouth and starting telling her tale.


	2. Chapter 2

~Previously on FALLING FOR YOU 2~

 _"Peri, let me introduce you to my best friend in the whole world: Connie."_

 _"...I don't have a story for today."_  
 _"Don't lie. You've been planning this day for weeks. I know. I saw the diagrams in your... tablet thingy."_

 _"Aaaww, Peri. Don't feel embarrassed. I'm sure Connie will love it."_  
 _"Of course she would love it, why wouldn't she? [...] The problem is that I'm not sure if you, Steven, would be comfortable with her hearing my story. I... I wrote about you."_  
 _"Oh my Gosh! You did? Then of course you have to tell it. Go on!"_  
 _The green gem had no other option, you couldn't argue with the boy when he had stars in his eyes._

 **AND NOW**

"Well, before I start you should know that this story," Peridot started, showing them a piece of paper with words on it "was written with a lot of previous preparation. I got inspired reading many books. And…it is also the product of a collaboration between me and someone who wants to remain anonymous."

"Whaaaat? Why?" Steven questioned with a pout. "You should have brought them and told the story together… Oh, Connie!" He called, switching his attention to the girl next to him, "we should do that next time…maybe with a song!"

"Yeah… we could do the whole story with a song,like ancient bards used to. They used lutes for their stories, but I guess your ukulele will make the part."

"My strings and fingers are at your disposal, miss knight." Steven offered, taking her hand and showing her the instrument he carried on his back.

"Oh my bard, your gentleness will be rewarded." She replied in the same serious tone.

They looked at each other for a second before bursting into giggles.

"We'll plan the whole thing later. Now it's Peri's turn to delight us with a story."

Peridot was still at the center of the circle, holding her paper and looking rather nervous.

"Oh, I… you can go now and play with your ' _ukelelele_ '. I don't mind." When Peri, the most conceited gem on the planet (maybe after Pearl), didn't want to be the center of attention SOMETHING WAS TERRIBLE WRONG. But once again Steven ignored the signs.

"No, go ahead. I want to hear it. Pleeease…" Steven used one of his deadliest weapons: the puppy eyes that were so useful with his guardians.

"Steven, I don't… what's wrong with your face?" The green gem questioned confused. She hadn't been much around puppies or babies to develop tenderness towards them. The boy's powers were useless against her.

And then, when all hope seemed lost, Connie intervened. "It's ok, Peridot, we'll go. Clearly you know your story is not good enough for the club and you'd rather wait till next month, or the next one if that one sucks too. We understand if this activity is too much for you." That made it.

"WHAT?! OF COURSE MY STORY IS GREAT! I WROTE IT MYSELF… well with a little help, BUT STILL! YOU EARTHLINGS HAVEN'T HEARD SOMETHING SO PURE AND AWESOME. YOU WANT TO HEAR IT SO BADLY? FINE THEN! ONCE UPON A TIME…"

Peri had started angrily, but as the words passed, her temper appeased and her voice got calm and clear. The two friends high fived silently at their success, and then listened attentively to their friend speaking.

 _Once upon a time in a far, far land there lived an unhappy princess. Unhappy she was, for she had no friends, and she spent her afternoons reading all by herself. The lonely princess read about knights and adventures and longed to be part of that exciting world. Only that never happened in the princess' life, everything was boring and lame._

 _But one day, something unexpected occurred while she was reading next to one of the towers of her castle: a piece of rock detached from the top and almost crushed her. Before the stone could hit the girl's head and surely killed her, a knight with a pink armor came around and saved the day. He pushed the girl out of the way and fell on top of her._

 _They looked into each other's eyes and the time stopped for the savior knight. He had never met such a beautiful girl, and he surely desired for a chance to get to know her. The knight fought with the need to spill his thoughts and feelings about the girl under him, and instead helped her to be stand. 'Hi, my name's Steven, knight of the Star Guard', he said as he gave her a kind smile, wishing that she gave him her name too. Luck was on his side and he was more than thrilled when she got up, adjusted her lenses and simply responded 'Coco'._

"Coco?" Connie questioned all of a sudden, interrupting the story. A faint blush on her cheeks.

"Yes. Didn't I tell you it had OC of my own invention?" The little gem replied looking away. "I'll just update the tags."

"What? No, it's just that…"

"NO QUESTIONS UNTIL I FINISH" The green Dorito kept reading, ignoring the confusing faces in front of her.

 _That was the beginning of their beautiful friendship._

 _Coco and Steven came from different worlds. She was royalty, an heir to the throne and all her life and teachings were focus on that. Steven, on the other hand, was a developing warrior, the son of a legendary magical knight who had helped to protect the kingdom; his destiny was to become a knight as his mother and keep her legacy alive. But none of this mattered to them, they became best friends anyway. They were the complement in each other's life: Steven gave Coco all the adrenaline and thrilled that her life needed; she couldn't say she was bored anymore or that her life was lame, they shared all kind of adventures. And Coco offered Steven the peace and normality the boy never had: they read, they sang, they lay down and watch the clouds or the stars._

 _And as the years passed, they experienced different situations that made them get to know each other better and grow closer._

 _Like the time he and Coco went to see a play by themselves. It was very important for both of them. Coco had never seen one outside the castle, and she was going with her best friends. Steven was really excited about the play, it was one of Coco's favorites and he was thrilled to share something that cool with her. Unfortunately they had to fight one of the usual monsters in their way to the public square. This beast was a little different than the savages he used to fight with his guardians: it was after them, not to kill them, not to hurt them, just chasing them. They felt the weight of the difference between them: she didn't know how to fight, she couldn't help him or save herself; he couldn't do it alone, and now he was endangering his princess. After a meaningful talk full of tears and hugs, they were brave enough to face it with the improvised weapons (made of sticks) they managed to find. They defeated it together, with a simple stroke of the wooded weapon. They didn't know it, but the monster was a test, a way for them to prove their value and courage; and they had proven to be more than worth it. It was the day of their first play together. It was the day of their first fight as a team._

 _She was there for him when the legacy of his mother was a burden too heavy. He trained very hard but he was never able to control his powers like he should. One day that a mission was almost a disaster for his lack of ability, he was convinced he would never be better; he would never be a knight. Then his best friend let him know how wonderful he was even if he never controlled his powers, even if he never got any power at all, he would just be like her and there wasn't anything wrong with that. She shared her water bottle with him and then took a sip herself. The princess took his hand on hers and leaned forward, their faces just inches apart. What was she gonna do? Was she trying to comfort him or was she trying to k…? He never knew. Her head started hurting and they moved away. When the pain went away she realized her sight had improved dramatically, she didn't need her lenses anymore. Steven was shocked for a second until he realized he had done that: he had healed her. He did have powers! He hugged her tightly, expressing all his gratitude, and then ran away to tell his guardians._

 _It was the day of their first indirect kiss._

Peridot looked up from her sheets and glanced quickly at her audience. Lapis was looking at her with a bored face, but the fact that she was still there and paying attention meant that she was interested in the story. The teenagers were a different story. Their gazes were fixed on the papers in her hands, like they wouldn't dare to look any other way, and their faces were red… like ruby red. 'I didn't know humans could get that color' Peridot thought. Then she kept reading.

 _Sometimes they disagreed with the other's action or ideas, but they were there helping anyway, hoping for the best. An example of this was when_ _Steven met Coco's parents, the king and the queen. Foreseeing her parents wouldn't approve of her friendship with a commoner, Coco had lied about his origins and his family, saying he was a brave noble, the youngest son of a foreign duchesse. At least the brave part was true. Steven hated that she felt the need to lie about him, he had been so upset, it hurt knowing that someone so important in his life was embarrassed of him. Nonetheless he helped her, playing along. At the end his guardians ended up blowing all their cover, not being able to agree on who should play his mother part and fighting in front of the Royas. The two kids made an attempt at running away because they didn't want a life where they weren't able to see their best friend, but were outsmarted by the boy's guardians. They were three experimented strategist warriors after all. The children never stood a chance. They both were grounded after what they did, but the Queen allowed them to stayed being friends at seeing the good influence the three powerful women could be in their daughter's life. And of course they loved their protégée and would never let anything happen to him or his friend._

 _That was the day the realized they couldn't live without each other._

 _One of the defining moments in their relationship was when Coco became a knight. They had been discussing it for a while. Coco often found herself in dangerous situations being with Steven, and even though she was protected by him and the rest of the Guard, she needed to learn how to fight. Not just for her own safety but to protect her people. She'd be a queen some day, and what kind of leader stayed behind while others fight her battles? They convinced General Pearl to train them in sword fighting and even managed to bring the lessons to an arena outside the castle. Coco didn't want her parents to know and General Pearl would have never accepted if she knew they were hiding it from the royals. Steven didn't like lies, but support his friend anyway._

 _The first couple of weeks everything went well, learning techniques and sparring carefully. But as the days passed Coco pressed herself more and more. She would get frustrated when she couldn't master a move, and she'd throw herself in front of Steven to deal with Pearl's attacks on her own. She didn't need help, she had to do it alone. The boy got worried when she became reckless and started saying that it didn't matter if she got hurt. She didn't matter._

 _In a particularly difficult session, where Pearl had invited more warriors for Coco to face, the situation got out of hand. They were too many to face alone, but nor Coco nor Pearl saw that. They were concentrated on the test, on the challenge. Steven, on the other hand, couldn't stand it anymore. When one of the men got too close to the princess' unprotected flank, Steven ran and defended her with her shield. Coco froze for a moment, processing the situation and what could have been a deadly strike. The boy stopped the fight right there and faced his friend. He told her the truth: she was acting like an idiot and that she was extremely important to be putting herself in unnecessary danger. It took a real talk, some tears and hugs, but she finally got it. She didn't need to do everything by herself, she had Steven to be by her side and accompany her every step of the way. From there on they kept the training as a team._

 _The next problem to fix about the training was the SECRET part._ _Funny thing about lies and secrets, you can hide them, you can bury them, but they make their way through layers and layers of dirt until they come to the light. And then everybody knows the truth. It can be with a sad situation, with a funny one, or in the middle of a battle against mutants. That's how Queen Priyanka found out the truth about her daughter, the princess knight._

 _Coco and Steven had been in a secret recovery mission in the forest, when they found the queen doing... queen's stuff. She had been investigating some reports of stranger creatures' attacks, and healing the hurt people. As she was armed with a big sword, in case of running into one of those monsters, the queen insisted on accompanying the kids to protect them if necessary. Half an hour later they encountered themselves cornered by those same creatures. They managed to hide in a cave and cover the entrance, but they knew it was a matter of time until the monsters finally broke in. Coco tried to reason with her mother and to take the sword from her hand, but Queen Priyanka griped the weapon tightly, even though she'd never had to use one in a real battle. In the middle of their discussion the entrance was cleared. One of the mutants grabbed Coco's arm and tried to drag her into the forest, but Steven wouldn't allow it. Filled with rage at seen his princes,_ HIS COCO _, in danger he charged into the beast armed only with his shield. When Coco was finally free she didn't remain still, she took the sword from her shocked mom and fought beside his friend. Their movements were completely in sync; like some kind of dance the couple had performed so many times that they didn't need to look to know where the other was. It was almost beautiful. It didn't take them long to defeat the mutants and get out of the cave._

 _Once out of their refuge they had to face another challenge: the queen. She would never believe it was just luck, she could tell they had hours of training together. Coco was afraid; she didn't want to lose everything she had, everything she earned. But she couldn't hide it anymore. If she wanted a future with Steven and his magical world she had to tell her mother the whole story and hope for the best._

 _That was one of the scariest days of their lives. Not because of the monsters since they could always find a way to defeat them; but for the actual possibility that queen would forbid them to see each other again. That would have torn their world apart. It wasn't easy, but Queen Priyanka finally gave her consent for Coco to keep training and spend her time with her favorite knight. She wanted her daughter to be happy, and she knew Steven would always look out for her._

 _And even when they weren't always in the same page, and sometimes Steven felt lonely because thing in his life were too unique and complicated for anyone to understand (including his princess), she was there at least to hear him. She couldn't solve his life, but she could give him the support he needed, be the rock in which he could lean on when things were a little too much in the magical world._

 _He…_

Peri made a weird face and stopped reading.

"What is it?" Lapis asked when the technician didn't continue.

"I… well this is new." She said mostly to herself.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. I guess this is the final part." She cleared her throat and continued.

 _He decided it was time to tell her all of this. All the feelings she provoked on him, all the thoughts he kept hidden from her. What she meant to him and that a part of his life and heart belonged to her if she wanted them._

 _The boy invited her to a reunion with some friends where they shared stories and tales of all kinds, specially love stories. The princess knew so many from all the books she read that he knew she'd blow their socks off. They shared a pleasant afternoon and then went for a walk at the sunset light. The moment was perfect for him to confess his feelings. He was so nervous! Steven knew she loved him; they were the best of friends after all. But he could only hope the beautiful girl next to him shared his feelings. Hope that she had fallen for him too._

 _They reached the peak of a hill, where Pearl's favorite tree once stood. They could see the whole city from there and enjoy the marvelous view of the sun hiding on the horizon._

 _"_ _I have something to tell you, my princess. I… I lo…"_

 _She came a step closer and put her hand over his cheek, encouraging him._

 _The pink knight put on his most serious face and reached over his back, where he carried a string instrument."I'd love to sing for you."_


	3. Chapter 3

~Previously on FALLING FOR YOU 2~

 _"Peri, let me introduce you to my best friend in the whole world: Connie."_

 _"...I wrote about you."_  
 _"Oh my Gosh! You did? Then of course you have to tell it. Go on!"_

 _"Before I start you should know that this story is the product of a collaboration between me and someone anonymous."_

 _"Once upon a time..."_

 _"Coco and Steven..."_

 _"I'd love to sing for you"_

 **AND NOW**

"Hold on. Are you going to sing?" Lapis asked, amused.

"What did I say about questions?"  
Her only response was an eye-roll from the blue gem.

"Steven, happy that NO ONE WAS INTERRUPTING HIM WITH UNNECESSARY QUESTIONS, " Intentional look towards her roomate. "began to sing."

 _We are the best of friends_  
 _You and I have a lot of fun_  
 _Never a boring moment_  
 _We can read, maybe spar_  
 _We could hear Pearl for hours talk_  
 _It's fun if we're together_  
 _That's why I don't understand_  
 _How could you not get_  
 _That you are amazing_  
 _I deeply admire you, I think I must tell you_  
 _You are the smartest gem, you are the coolest friend_  
 _You can kick monster's butts_  
 _And you know bunch of other stuffs._  
 _What you don't even know_  
 _Is that I'd want to be_  
 _There for you when_  
 _You're feeling blue and weak._  
 _I would like to calm your tears_  
 _The ones that come from all your fears._  
 _I would like to be the one you choose_  
 _To watch your back_  
 _And make you feel secure_  
 _I'd like to mean in your life_  
 _Just as much as you mean in mine._

 _As you are my best friend_  
 _You can tell I am acting weird_  
 _And you ask me about it_  
 _And I don't know what to do_  
 _If you only knew how all this is killing me_  
 _I wish I could tell you what am I feeling_  
 _But I feel so scared that you are gonna hate me_  
 _That I lie and just say_  
 _'It's nothing._  
 _I just need more sleep.'_  
 _But you don't even know_  
 _That I would want to be_  
 _Your latest thought before you go to sleep_  
 _I would love if you could dream_  
 _Every night of you and me._  
 _I would like to be the one for whom_  
 _You wake up wishful and your heart goes 'boom'_  
 _I would like for you to be_  
 _All your life in love with me._

 _The song ended abruptly and then there was silence. The sun wasn't more than a thin line in the horizon so everything was almost engulfed in darkness, but he still could see the princess shocked face._

 _Steven, the pink knight, summoned all the courage he used to face monsters and villains every day, looked at the girl in the eyes and asked: "What do you think?"_

 _"I… really liked it. The song and your voice are beautiful."_

 _"But what about the lyrics? Coco I wrote that song for you. I just want to know if you return my feelings. You will always be my best friend even if you don't love me the same way. But if you do… that would make me extremely happy."_

 _There he was, with his heart in his hand, offering it to her. A couple of seconds passed in complete silence, just looking at each other. Suddenly, the princess moved forward, just a few inches between them. She pressed a light kiss on her night's cheek and hugged him tightly. He wasn't sure if this was a bad or a good thing, but he knew that her answer will change everything. She brought her mouth closer to his ear and then she answered. He was right: it changed everything._

THE END.

"WHAT? THAT'S ALL?" Steven was the first one reacting to the ending.

"Steven!" Connie called, with a deep dark blush all over her face and neck.

"I… I mean…" He had been so into Peri's story and the outcome that he didn't realize his outburst exposed his true feelings. He looked at the floor, as his skin matched Connie's red one.

"I told you it would be awesome" The small gem said with a smirk. "My ability with the words and my great imagination have no match in this planet."

"That wasn't your imagination. All of that did happen!" The boy said exasperated. And then he added: "Well most of it."

"And you changed my name for Coco's. That was our story!"

"Hehe… You got that? Well it wasn't my fault that you showed up out of nowhere. My plan was just to write about this ship. I didn't think things would go this far."

Connie decided to ignore the "ship" part and ask a very important question instead. "Wait, how did you even know about all this stuff? You weren't there! We were alone in some of those moments!"

"I told you, I got inspired with some things I read."

"Peridot, what did you read?" He asked carefully.

"Some books I found on the shelf over your bed." She put a hand under her chin in reflection and continued: "One was called Fairy Tales; it gave me an idea about the writing structure. Then I read a "Dictionary", I'll keep that one by the way, it has helped to expand my vocabulary. Isn't it right, mate?" She finished giving Lapis an intentional look.

"Don't ever call me that again." The blue gem answered deadpan.

Ignoring Lapis, Connie questioned one more time. "You didn't answer my question. How did you know all that stuff?"

"Oh, right. At the end I read Steven's diary. It was all in there. The hard part was put it all together into one single story. You guys have lived a lot! I had to leave out some good stuff for the sake of the fairy tale universe."

"YOU DID WHAT?!"

"You keep a diary?" Connie asked, missing the point.

"Yes... it's a nice way to keep nice memories."

"And you write about me?" She wondered with a cute little smile in the corner of her mouth.

Steven blushed once again, this time not from embarrassment but for the warm feeling that filled him. The boy took her hand, looked his friend right into her eyes, and answered with total honesty: "Well, yeah.

Every moment I spend with you is a nice memory I want to never forget. But then again, how could I? You are unforgettable."

They held each other's gaze for a minute. Lost in their own thoughts and trying to decipher the other's. They were so absorbed in their own bubble that they didn't notice the green Dorito staring at them with a big grin all over her face.

"Steven, are you going to write this later? I could totally make another story, maybe I could post it on the internet but with Percy and Pierre's names this time. My fans will love the cuteness!"

And one more time, the blushing returned. "Peridot! You can't read other people's diaries. That's private! You wouldn't like it if someone you trust, your friend, didn't respect your privacy." Steven reproached.

"You heard my logs!" Peri simply replied.

Steven opened his mouth trying to come with a coherent argument but, when his brain wasn't able to, he just gave up, groaning and hiding his face in his hands. The girl at hiss side offered some comfort with a pat in his back.

"Can I ask about the song now?" Lapis intervened for the first time in a while. She'd been silently observing the whole thing develop.

"Oh right. Well that actually wasn't my doing. My partner came up with the song. I wrote the first part and the ending was all her."

"Oh so the ambiguous ending wasn't your idea?"

"Nope. I was really surprised with the way it ended. I'd have just made him give each other bracelets like in Camp Pining Hearts. But I couldn't.

"Why?"

"She didn't let me. Look," she said pointing at a line after The End "here she wrote 'Peridot don't change nor add a thing at the end. Steven must find out by himself, but don't tell him this'. So I couldn't."

"Find out what?"

She had forgotten completely about the children and the reason why she didn't read the last part after the ending 'Don't tell him this'. Oops…

"Who helped you?" He questioned, recovering his ability to speak, although he lost it again when he heard the answer.

The technician knew she had no other choice. They would chase her if she tried to run and eventually get the truth out of her. She had to tell them.

"Fine… ummm… it was Garnet. She was my partner, who came up with the ending and didn't want me to tell you. Because…you have to find out by yourself how the story ends."

Both teenagers fell in an awkward silence, not daring to look at the other one. What could they do? Was this really Garnet's doing? She knew this would happen? It didn't sound like something she'd do, although she was kind of a fangirl when it came to love. And how other way could they explain the coincidences in the ending and the events of that day. Peri didn't know Connie was gonna be there, or that Steven would bring his ukulele and they would go for a jam session after that. Was that really a vision? And would they dare to find out the ending? Were they ready for that? Would that ruin their friendship? Did Steven really feel that way? Did Connie? Those were all question that neither of them dare to ask, or actually hear the answer. It was all too much, too soon.

Then the weirdest thing happened: Connie giggled. It started as a little giggle, a nervous one… then another one… and when they realized she was lying on the floor laughing at loud with a hand in her belly. Her jam bud couldn't help it either: he joined her in the floor with his own laugh.

"You broke them." Lapis commented to her roommate, observing the weird display in front of them.

"I prefer to think that I fixed them up." She answered elbowing her friend. "Huh? See what I did there?"

The blue gem gave her a bored look and turned around, leaving her without a word.

Peri glanced at the laughing teenagers in the floor one more time and left. She would have stayed to see what happened when the laugh stopped, to see if they were able to talk about all this. But she couldn't, she had plans. Although it wasn't like she wouldn't know what happened, after all Steven always wrote important events in his journal. And what would be more important than your best friend falling for you too?


	4. EPILOGUE

Peridot had plans. And not some kind of boring and dorky plan, she had a date.

She'd been waiting for this the entire day, dying to tell Amethyst how the plan went.

It had all started like a way to get back at Steven. He had embarrassed Peridot and displayed her feelings for the purple quartz. It wasn't really a secret, since Peridot wore her feelings on her sleeve. But she liked to pretend no one noticed her big fat crush for the other gem.

At the end Peridot realised that Steven's story had actually helped her get a girlfriend, so she just wanted to embarrass him a little. Connie's presence made that really hard, and she ended up embarrassing both of them and probably making them have a really awkward conversation. But it wasn't Peri's fault, THEY INSISTED.

Peridot arrived to the light house, where her date was going to take place, and looked for her girlfriend. She was at the edge of the cliff, enjoying the last minutes of sunset. She didn't seem to notice the other gem, so Peri stayed quiet for a moment contemplating how the light reflected on the purple skin. It was beautiful. 'She is beautiful', she thought.

Amethyst turned around and smiled. How could she ever doubt of her feelings for this gem? Yes, she was loud, she was reckless, and she was certainly like no other amethyst the technician has known before. But when Amethyst looked at her and gave her that smile that made her feel so warm and tingly, like everything in her life was right and perfect as long as she had that smile in her life... she just knew it: she had fallen hard. And Peridot wouldn't change that feeling for anything in this world or any other.

"Well you're not that bad yourself." Amethyst said turning her smile into a smirk. Apparently she had voiced her thoughts without knowing, mesmerized as she was with the other gem's look. The spell was broken, now she just felt embarrassed for being caught.

Amethyst stood up and came close to the other gem. "I missed you!" She said while giving her a crushing hug.

"I missed you too." Peridot answered with a suffocated voice, trying to return the hug weakly.

The quartz released her victim. She gave her a small peck on her cheek and grabbed her hand to lead her to the edge of the cliff. A small blanket that Peri hadn't seen before was set near it. They sat and watched the sun disappear into the sea.

When the big star was finally gone and they were illuminated by moonlight, Amethyst let go of the other's hand. She draw a little picnic basket from behind her that left Peridot wondering 'Where did that come from?' The basket was full with food for Amethyst and a single packet of gum for Peridot. They had discovered recently that this was something she enjoyed. She couldn't eat but she could still taste.

They ate (chew) in silence, just enjoying each other's company. But eventually Peridot broke the silence. She was a chatty gem, she couldn't help it. And Amethyst wouldn't have changed a single bit of her personality… well maybe the constant bragging, but she could live with that.

"What were you doing before?" The cute dorito asked.

"Before you came?" Nod. "I was just thinking about stuff and admiring the view. It's extremely beautiful, don't you think?

"Yeah, it was." She simply answered, looking away. And then she had an idea. "Oh! You… you know who else is beautiful?"

"Who?" Amethyst played along.

"You." She finally said, sketching her best shit-eating grin.

"Pfff. You dork!" The quartz trapped the triangle head under her arm and gave her a noogie.

Amethyst let go of her partner and then realized how close they were. They looked each other in the eye and then smiled. Peri leaned a little forward, expectant. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but she wanted to find out. And just when it seemed like Amethyst was going to lean too… her eyes widen with realization.

"Hey! I just remembered. What happened today? Did the crazy plan work?" She asked ruining the mood completely.

"The plan… what? Oh… OH! The plan! Yes! I did it." Peridot's mind finally caught up with the question and its implications. "I've been waiting all day to tell you about it, but I got a little distracted when I got here." She looked away and cleared her throat. "Anyway, it went pretty well. At first I thought I had to call out the whole thing, but I improvised and succeeded."

"Yeah! Go Peri! That's how I flow" Amethyst commented with a proud smile.

"I learnt from the best" She answered with a wink and smirk she had copied from the gem next to her. She was rewarded with that beautiful laugh and snorts she had come to love.

"What can I say? I try…" She paused for a second and then continued. "And what about the ending? Did he like it?"

"I believe they liked it. It was too much blushing to tell. But the ending couldn't have been more perfect. Especially…" Peridot trailed off

"Especially…?" Amethyst said, encouraging her to talk.

"Especially the song. It was awesome. It fit their relationship. But… but I can't help to think that it wasn't written thinking about them, but thinking about someone else." She finished looking straight into the quartz's eyes.

"Hmm… interesting idea. You should ask the author. I'm sure she was thinking about someone very special in her life." Amethyst said leaning just an inch in Peridot's direction.

"I think so too." Then she closed the space between them, locking their lips into a highly desired kiss. They embraced each other immediately. Peri's hands went to Amethyst's head to bury her fingers into her soft hair. Amethyst, on the other hand, held her partner by the waist, pulling her as closer as possible. Their mouths opened… their tongues met… the gum was in the way, so they had to break apart to spit it out. Their lips found each other again, this time to stay that way for a very long time.

Eventually they separated and contemplated each other with a satisfied smile. They were a mess. Their hairs were all tousled and their lips were swollen. At one point they carried away and started rolling on the grass, so they also looked dusty. They would have fallen if it weren't for Pearl's fence (but she would never hear the small quartz admit that). But what's a gem-date without a little danger?

"So I get that you liked my song?" Amethyst broke the silence first and asked mockingly. Her answered was another kiss, shorter than the previous one but just as passionate.

"Are you kidding me? I almost left them there and run to find you to show you how much I loved it! Fortunately Lapis interrupted my telling and I could contain my internal girlfriend-loving."

"Oh… well you can show me all you want how much you loved it." She raised her eyebrows suggestively.

"Definitely I will. I just have one question."

"Shoot."

"Why did you make me tell them Garnet wrote the story? I don't understand it. You helped me. You alone wrote ninety percent of it! Take the credit for your story." Everybody thought that Amethyst didn't care about anything. They thought she couldn't focus enough to finish a task, so much that the quartz had ended up believing it too. But Peri knew the truth. Her girlfriend did care. She cared about the little things, like the details she had added on the story that Steven's journal didn't say. She had written most of the thing! And the result was awesome. Peri was extremely proud of her and she wished the rest could know how great and talented the gem was.

"Pfft. It's ok, Perski. I'm not some kind of Shakespeare or anything." She answered dismissing the other's game comment. "Besides I just wanted to freak him out about the future. I'm sure Garnet will tell him the truth if he asks."

"Oh yes. It was just a… "prank"" Peri said unsure of the word. "I don't want Steven to feel bad. I just wanted to embarrass him a little and teach him not to meddle in other people's relationships."

Amethyst just cackled amused. "I'm sure he learnt his lesson."

"Yes, he did. I was about to stop when I saw Connie there, but they insisted. They had it coming."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! CONNIE WAS THERE TOO? Why didn't you tell me? Oh this changed everything! What did she say? How did she react? Did you leave them alone all awkward and stuff? No, wait, this isn't cool. We have to go and help Steven!" Her excitement became guilt and protectiveness for her little man. This was a perfect example of what Peri knew: Amethyst cared a lot.

The purple gem grabbed Peri's hand and started dragging her back to the barn.

"Wait!" Peri screamed. The quartz stopped on the spot and turned in one single move, causing that Peridot collided with her. Face to face they clashed and then fell to the floor. Peri on top "There's no need for you to worry." She continued ignoring the ache of her nose or their awkward position on the floor. "They were laughing when I left. They were super embarrassed, of course, but… they looked happy. They're both okay. Steven is fine. Don't worry." She finished touching Amethyst's cheek with a soft hand.

They had been in this position before. It was just like the day of the accident with the drill. They were looking each other in the eye. They were quiet, just taking in the moment. The only difference with last time was that they wanted to be this close now.

Oh another difference with last time was that Garnet hadn't been there staring at them.

"Care to explain why Steven thinks I had a vision about him and Connie?" The fusion plainly asked.

"Garnet!" They both exclaimed, standing up, looking at the big gem with fear in their eyes. ' _Oh, man. We're so screwed!_ ' Amethyst thought.

"Well, Garnet, you see… it's a funny story…" The green gem started glancing at her partner in crime, asking for help.

Amethyst evaluated their current situation and decided what to do next. The only way they could get away with their little prank. The quickest solution to their problems. Without wasting any time she grabbed her girlfriend and held her over her head. "RUN, PERI!"


End file.
